HomeMy WebLinkAboutCayuga Heights Deer Project Update 6.05.PDFCayuga Heights Deer project Update 6/05
we would like to thank all the community members for their assistance with thecay.uga Heights Deer Research projectinis past season. cooperation oflandowners in the viilage, as arways, is tre kby to tne success of this study.\Afithout'aeees+to-private lands,-rnucfi of-our-work cour+not oe-aceornptisne+an+few deer would be treated. we have many homeowners who have graciousryBrovided access tre their: pr:oper:ty for deer Lapture ana-keatalent, infrarestriggered camera sets for thb photo survey, and safe parking. Tfrank you!
we may be calling on many of these and other landowners this summer to atfowus access to their properties while traeking radio-eoflared deer. w; ;i;, b makean extensive effort.to identify which deer ire raising fawns. The fawn count isessenti?lthis year to evaluate the effectiveness oiin" spayVaclillori,iirt*r"oduring 2004. some.of the tagged deer in the commrnity
"r" shy, so we mayneed permission to inspect secfuded brush lots to cfreck for fawns. We areexpeeting continued community support with this endeavor through observationreports af tewed deerwith fawns.
.Reports
from community meriber areg?:::li?ll"-r_"lll,|i*g fawnins data foi deer without radio{ransmuter copars.
;l
\Mnter wg.ather presented chatlenges with frnding pr.oductive tr^appingopportunities this season, howevei, we were stilfabte to successiutty"capture andvacclryate 13 bm-ale- de-erwith- th-e S payVaCM: *r"noconr'aceptivs vascine.Currently, 36 treated female deer reside in the community after two seasons ofspaying surgeries (tofar = zz), and two seasons treating deerwith spawac*(total = 23)' several.tagged deer (total = 9) were rosl to haffic fatality or dispersal.Five of the deer treated this year were adults, and presumed pregnrant at the timeof vaccination. These deer should detiver fawns for the lasf time in summer 200s,We expect the 8 vaccinated female fawns not to deliver fawns for many years, ifev'el- Assumingthesetreated deer.r:emah in the-community"-the-2o,06fawningrate should be about 65 less than if no treatment had occurred.
Deer trapping was more difficult this winter, as rnafty of the mature doeshave become famiriarized wit the primary trapffitechniques (crover traps,rocket nets, and drop-nets). The vast maioritv bt t[eirapping success was withdrop nets this year-
. n?ilg open on all siites, tfre orop net allows skittish deer tobe more relaxed and wilting tb go ungg!! t*e empdyea our two Jrop nets, ancboffowed two more tr.91n. the regional DEC office in corttand, hoping t'o in"r""*"oursuccess and avaifable trap"sites: We-had'poor suceess with-Clover traps thisyear, as there were gnfy a qoupte of weeks witir suitable snow cover. Safe rocketnet sites are limited in the Vittage and the noise at dischar"gre isir"i*ing toneighbors, so rockelngls are b-eing reserved for onry the most difficurt andim portant- eapture situations.
Movement of deer into the Vittage of Cayuga Heights, particularly from
south Lansing, and the Town of lthaca on the northeast side are stillof concern-
;gef populat6ns in those areas are causing visual browsing damage in wssdy
brush lots. Althougn tn" adult female deer have established home ranges that
change lit{1e'oetwe"enly"*t, year'ling-deer' (previous.year's fawns)-do'move in'and-
out of the communnty.'Our pist analysis of tagged deer movements show that
*.i"i *"rting mate ieer t#ve the viilage, and travel absut 6-8 mites on average'
ine niajority-ot tne females on the othei hand, stay in or near their mother's home
i"ng*. 'E*er. movingrinto ttre Village'appear to'be-most{y"br"eeding-69"-1"males'
There was one unidue behavior observed this year" On lttlay 29, one 9f the
sursicaltv-steritized'does was repsrted on a tatr'rn near theVarna Fire Department:
if'r*i, * ,lune 3'd she was reported back in her original home range near
Triph'ammer Road;
We- eompleted" anot'her camera-survey-of deer in- the-villageto- measure-
deer abundance amd determine the extent oi immigration. Seventy-five ro[[s of
fitm were shot oven a lg-o*y perlod: Att these stides wilt be analyzed earty this
ir*rn*r, with the final statistical analysis available in early fall. Deer population
rnodeling has shown,thatfertility-eonirol-is s-long-1sffi-strategy-for managing-deer
abundance. lt toolti I to10 yeari of annual deer contraception bgforq there were
measurable reductionrlin dot numbers at Fire tsfand Nationat Seashore' [f
financial support continues for capture and treatment of deer in the village, it will
still-be-a-few,years befor.e-there-is a-eonsistent noticeable-reduction-in"deer
abundance. ennougn *any adult female deer are not, or witl not be producing
fav,rns, they witt stiliii* in tfie Vittage fsr several years: For the Cayuga Heights
O"*, Fertility Gonirol ptog."* to b6 successful trapping effurfs need to continue,
anO a'plan tbr bngGim Enaneial-suppor-f needs to-be-expfored: Currently;
availabte funding 6as been exhausted, and no further deer trapping is currently
planned.
The.pr.ojeetwebsite-is in-the'proee_ss of-being'updated with'new pictures,
new data, and more timely information. Soon an exciting addition-to this site witt
be avaitable: Alt of the sigF*ing reports and tetemetry tocations cotteeted over the
duration of the study havJ been compiled, and over 3,000 points have.been
prutt"o-uo.a-digital"ierial-photo-of the-village; In the-fall; anyone"reporting-a-
*ignttng wiil biable to check if the deer is in its normal range- Our goat is to have
an interactiveweb site so afty indlvidual deer's seasonal home ranges cou]d be
viewed. Watch for this future development'
As requested-ear.lier; please-feel-free-ts-eontaet'us if-you see-tagsed"deer
in or around the community. Sightings of marked deer with fawns are very
important tng yearforassessin[ ttte-emectlrreness of SpayVacr*' Sightings can
bsreporteC on tne web at http://wildlifecontrol.info/chdddefault.htrn or by phone
at 255-2835.